My dad used to be a mercruiser mechanic and he still knows his shit, he told me i should buy a boat with the merc 4cyl IO and alpha 1, so I did. I dont really think that much could go wrong that we cant fix.

Hmmmm I was gonna dog on the 3.0 only cuz a guy I work with had probs with his, but if your dad was a tech he knows the I/O's better then me. That would be my ONLY experience with that engine...so what do I know

That alpha drive is great if you take care of it, should be trouble free.....

maintenance wise you should check the gimbals and the bellows, other then that the drive will go well.

Boats are a blast, nothing is better then anchoring on a hot day and just chilling with beer and girls in swimsuits. (even fat girls are ok)